FR2827006A1 - Rotary engine comprises stator, housing containing rotor and shaft with surface forming sliding control cam for stator blades which delimit combustion chambers associated with fuel and oxidant compression circuits - Google Patents

Abstract

The rotary engine comprises a stator (1), a housing (30) containing a rotor (200) and a shaft (201) having a peripheral surface (213) forming a sliding control cam for several stator blades (21) in corresponding wells (41) angularly distributed in the housing periphery. The blades delimit several combustion chambers (31-33) associated with fuel gas and compressed oxidizing injection circuits (151-153) and ignition circuits. The rotor directly controls one of the compression circuits (41,321).

Description

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 The present invention relates to a rotary motor.

 The structure of a conventional piston, connecting rod and crankshaft engine is relatively complex and has limited efficiency, in particular because it produces its motive force only discontinuously during the duration of a complete cycle of operation.

 A rotary vane motor, taught in FR 2,792,364, produces a motive force more continuously. It has a central part, with a circular section, housed in another room with a snail-shaped section. One of the two parts constitutes a stator and the other a rotor, the geometric axis of the central part of which constitutes the axis of rotation. The stator carries a plurality of fins which slide radially in a sealed manner in a corresponding plurality of stator wells. The fins, brought back into abutment against the rotor, form partitions between chambers and their rotation changes their useful length, that is to say the distance between the central, circular part, and the surface, in a snail, of the housing. The volumes of the chambers vary progressively in the same direction, which makes it possible to provide a driving torque by expansion of a pressurized gas or, by rotation in the opposite direction, to compress gas.

 The rotary engine must, however, have fairly complex ancillary members for supplying pressure to the chambers by a high pressure mixture of fuel and oxidizing gas such as air.

 The present invention aims to propose a solution for obtaining a rotary motor of relatively simple constitution.

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 To this end, the invention relates to a rotary motor comprising a stator comprising a housing for receiving a rotor comprising a shaft, arranged to cooperate with stator bearing means, comprising a section of output driving end, the rotor having a peripheral surface forming a cam for sliding control of a plurality of stator pallets, associated with means for holding the pallets in abutment against the peripheral surface, for sliding in a corresponding plurality of wells angularly distributed at the periphery of the housing, so delimit a plurality of combustion chambers associated with means for injecting fuel gas and compressed oxidizing gas and with ignition means for controlling combustion of the gas, driving the rotor, characterized in that the rotor is arranged to control directly, in an integrated manner with the motor, independently of the output driving end section, d es means for compressing at least one of the fuel gas and the oxidizing gas.

 Thus, all or part of the additional compression means is integrated with the drive part proper, which makes the assembly more compact by limiting, or even eliminating, the need for additional equipment.

 In an advantageous embodiment, the rotor comprises turbine means for compressing the oxidizing gas, a housing containing blades of the turbine mounted on the shaft, the housing preferably having an axial mouth, in a front wall of the rotor, disposed so as to come successively opposite an oxidizing gas inlet orifice and a said plurality of compressed oxidizing gas outlet orifices, passing through an opposite front wall of the stator.

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 In another embodiment, compatible with the first, the vanes slide by sliding the respective pistons housed in fuel receiving cylinders connected at the outlet to the combustion chambers through chambers for mixing and injecting fuel and gas oxidant.

 The combination of these two embodiments thus makes it possible to integrate all the main ancillary members with the engine block.

 The rotor may have a radial section of ovoid shape, in order to cause the pallets to slide.

 In an advantageous embodiment, the means for holding the pallets in abutment comprise leading cam-bearing means integral with the rotor, associated with driven means integral with the pallets and the leading cam-bearing means comprising, in a front face of the rotor, a groove, extending parallel to the peripheral surface of the rotor, forming a landing for receiving a plurality of hooks driven integral with the respective pallets.

 The rotor may in particular comprise an axial groove for distributing the mixture opening into at least one of the front walls of the rotor opposite with sealing to a front wall of the stator which comprises a said plurality of pairs of first and second angularly spaced and arranged orifices that the distribution groove successively scans the plurality of pairs of orifices, a first orifice of each pair being connected to the outlet of one of the mixing and injection chambers, the plurality of second orifices being provided for the evacuation of the burnt gases, and the wall

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 front of the stator has a plurality of radial grooves for sliding guide of the pallets.

 The invention will be better understood using the following description of a preferred embodiment of the rotary motor of the invention, with reference to the attached drawing, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic view of the rotary motor in radial section, - Figure 2 is a view in axial section at the end of the rotor, and - Figure 3 is a right view, in a radial plane, of the stator of Figure l. The rotary motor represented in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a stator or frame 1 of which a housing 30 contains a rotor 200 rotatably mounted, at the two ends 201A and 201B of a shaft or axis 201, on two respective bearings 13 carried by walls respective radial, or frontal, opposite sides 11, 12 of the stator 1. The end section 201B is accessible from the outside to supply a driving torque to a driving machine, not shown, such as a generator, compressor for cooling block or other.

As explained in detail below, the engine shown comprises a drive part supplied by two sets of auxiliary elements, integrated with the drive part, for respectively supplying combustible gas, or fuel, such as vaporized fuel oil, and in oxidizing gas to burn it, here atmospheric air. To this end, the rotor 200, which conventionally comprises the drive power output shaft 201B, has two additional functions.

 On the one hand, the rotor 200 has a peripheral side wall 213 which constitutes a repelling cam

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 cyclically radially sliding fins 21, 22 and 23 (fig. 2) of the drive part of the stator 1, in order to control, in wells 41, pistons 61 (fig. 2) for compression of the fuel gas, supplying the part driving.

 On the other hand, the rotor 200 is hollow to constitute a turbine 321 for compressing the air, here atmospheric, supplying the driving part.

 The rotor 200 here has a cylindrical shape with a non-circular radial section, bounded by the wall or peripheral lateral surface 213 and two lateral walls or radial surfaces of front ends 211 and 212, respectively opposite, with sealing, to the front walls 11 and 12 In FIG. 1, the opposite walls 11, 211 and 12, 212 have been shown apart, for the sake of clarity of the drawing.

 As shown in Figure 2, the peripheral surface 213 of the rotor 200 has a radial section such that its distance, or radius, to the axis 201, varies according to the angular direction of the surface point considered. In other words, it is not a circular section rotor which would rotate around its center. In general, it can therefore be a circular section with an off-center axis or, as here, a non-circular section, which thus serves as a cam to drive a plurality N by pushing back (here = 3) d 'fins or pallets 21,22 and 23 angularly fixed and sliding with sealing in a corresponding plurality of N respective peripheral wells 41,42 and 43 of the housing 30. In this example, the stator 1 does not include means for returning the pallets 21 23 to the peripheral surface 213 because the rotor 200 and the pallets 21 to 23 comprise means cooperating for this purpose, described below. The rotor 200 can therefore have here

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 a driving role on the pallets 21 to 23 in each of the two radial sliding directions thereof.

 The pallets or flaps 21 to 23, which extend in respective substantially axial and radial planes relative to the shaft or axis 201, are held in abutment with sealing against the peripheral lateral surface 213 of the rotor 200, as mentioned. It is thus defined, between the internal wall of the housing 30 and the peripheral surface 213 of the rotor 200, a plurality of N elementary chambers 31, 32 and 33 for combustion of the fuel gas and for expansion of the corresponding gas mixture, chambers occupying angular sectors respective housing 30 substantially equal, here therefore 120 degrees. Each pallet 21 to 23 is connected, on the radially external side, opposite to its sealed contact led end on which the peripheral surface 213 of the rotor 200 slides, to a particular piston, like that referenced 61, which is slidably mounted in a cylinder 51 , here extending substantially in the extension, radially external, of the well 41. For clarity of the drawing, only one of the piston mechanisms has been shown in detail. It will be noted that this is a preferred example, but that other arrangements of the cylinders such as 51 are possible, provided that the appropriate drive mechanisms are provided between the driving pallet 21 and the associated driven piston, such as 61.

A fuel injection pipe 71, such as fuel oil for example, opens into the cylinder 51, with a conventional mechanism with an inlet valve, not shown.

 A pipe or pipe 81 for leaving the cylinder 51 supplies the compressed fuel to an associated chamber 151 (FIGS. 1 and 3) for mixing and injecting the mixture constituted by the compressed fuel gas and by

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 oxidizing gas, such as air, compressed by the turbine 321 of the rotor 200.

 As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the front wall 11 of the stator 1 externally carries a plurality of N orifices or lights 151A, 152A and 153A also distributed angularly in a circle C1, here therefore at 120 degrees, around the shaft 201 In this example, the mixing and injection chambers 151 to 153 are directly mounted externally on the front wall 11, opposite the respectively associated injection injection orifices 151A, 152A and 153A, which constitute the outputs thereof. Each chamber 151 to 153 comprises a conventional non-return assembly, not shown, with inlet valve and return spring in the closed position acting against the action of the pressure of gas coming from the cylinder 51. Between the N injection orifices 151A, 152A and 153A are interposed, and also regularly distributed, N exhaust orifices for the burnt gases, referenced 161, 162 and 163. The assembly of the injection chambers 151 to 153 and the exhaust orifices 161 to 163 is here arranged. substantially along the same circle C2, centered on the tree 201.

 As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the peripheral surface 213 of the rotor 200 has a groove 213A, having a certain depth of radial extension, having an axial extension over here almost the entire rotor 200, and open at the end, c ' that is to say opening axially in the front face or radial surface 211 of the rotor 200 by a mouthpiece 213B (FIG. 1). The mouthpiece 213B can be, as here, in the form of a notch of the peripheral lateral surface 213, and it is therefore not appreciably distinguished from the groove 213A

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 herself. The mouthpiece 213B can also correspond to a conduit, orifice or lumen in the wall 211, with limited radial extension, not reaching the peripheral surface 213. The depth or radial position of the groove 213A, or more precisely the radial distance from its mouth 213B, with respect to the axis 201, corresponds to the circle C2, so that the mouth 213B sweeps successively, during the rotation of the rotor 200, the injection chambers 151 to 153 alternately with each of the orifices d 'exhaust 161 to 163. In other words, the radial groove 213A and its axial mouth 213B constitute a bent, axial / radial distributor duct according to the bent arrows F151, F152, F153 (the last two here superimposed by perspective effect) , to successively supply, with a gaseous mixture to be burned, the elementary chambers 31 to 33 and ensure the evacuation of the burnt gases. N ignition devices 91, 92 and 93 (fig. 2), arranged at least in part in the respective combustion chambers 31 to 33, detect the angular position of the rotor 200 to cause the combustion of the gas mixture after its injection into the combustion chamber considered 31 to 33.

 On the internal side, the front walls 11 and 12 each have here a set of three radial guides 121, 122 and 123 (a single set is shown in FIG. 3) mutually spaced 120 degrees apart, to guide the corresponding lateral edges of the respective pallets 21 to 23 , in addition to the guidance provided by the wells 41 to 43. The guides 121 to 123 are here receiving grooves sliding the edges above.

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 As indicated at the beginning, the rotor 200 has a driving function and two additional functions for engine servitude members.

 For the driving function, the rotor 200 is driven in rotation by the pressure exerted on its peripheral surface 213, of a particular shape, under the effect of the combustion of gases in the elementary chambers 31 to 33.

The shape of the peripheral surface 213 results in the fact that two adjacent pallets 21 to 23 axially limiting a combustion chamber 31 to 33 have different useful radial lengths, the difference in length representing the difference of the two radii at the points of contact of the two fins 21 to 23 considered. The average normal to the surface of the sector of 120 degrees considered from the peripheral surface 213 is therefore overall slightly inclined to the mean radius of the sector. The corresponding resultant pressure force passes on one side of the (geometric) axis of the shaft 201 and therefore generates engine torque. This produces a corner effect.

 As will be understood, each combustion chamber 31 to 33 is emptied beforehand when, by rotation, the shape of the sector in question of the peripheral surface 213 changes and causes the resulting pressure force to pass on the other side of the axis 201, which would tend to generate an opposite direction motor torque, therefore braking.

 As regards its auxiliary functions, the rotor 200 thus driven comprises the turbine 321 for supplying compressed air to the mixing and injection chambers 151 to 153 of the engine part of the assembly of the mechanism shown.

 Thus, the latter are supplied with compressed fuel and compressed air respectively by the action of the

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 pistons like 61 and turbine 321, all under the action of the driving force of the engine part. The whole therefore constitutes a compact autonomous block.

 To this end, the rotor 200 comprises a central cylindrical housing 330, of axis 201, in which a radial ring of fins is integral with a central section of the shaft 201 to constitute the turbine 321. The housing 330 is open laterally, therefore axially or frontally, through an opening or lumen 211D of the turbine mouth, in its wall 211. The rotor 200 thus constitutes a cylindrical wall turbine 213 isolating the cylindrical turbine cavity 330 with respect to the elementary chambers 31 to 33 of the engine part.

 As shown in FIG. 3, the front wall 11 is pierced, in its central zone opposite to the housing 330, with N slots 131, 132 and 133 with circumferential extension distributed angularly in a regular manner in a circle C0 centered on the shaft 201, therefore here at 120 degrees, and intended for the entry of atmospheric air. The front wall 11 further comprises three orifices 141, 142, 143 for the outlet of the compressed air by the turbine 321, mutually distributed like the air inlet ports 131 to 133, but angularly offset with respect thereto and arranged according to a circle C1 centered in the same way. N pipes connect, as schematically illustrated the arrow F141 of FIGS. 1 and 3, the N orifices 141 to 143 to the N respective mixing and injection chambers 151 to 153 respectively downstream.

Each air inlet light 131 to 133 extends, in this example, over an angular sector substantially delimited by the sector of a respective pair of pallets 21 to 23. It will however be recalled that the pallets 21 to 23 are

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 radially external to the rotor 200 and therefore have no relation to the turbine 321.

sorties successives. Le cercle de sortie d'air CI est de rayon supérieur à celui du cercle d'entrée d'air CO. L'air entraîné en rotation dans la turbine 321 est ainsi plaqué, par la force centrifuge qu'il subit, sur la paroi périphérique du logement 330. La forme des ailettes de la turbine 321 présente ici un galbe pour faciliter l'entrée axiale de l'air et son accélération angulaire avec translation radiale vers la paroi périphérique. Les flèches ci-dessus comme F131 et F141 illustrent ainsi le trajet de l'air, tandis que la canalisation 81 illustre celui du combustible, pour la chambre de mélange 151. The air inlet lights 131 to 133 functionally constitute a single air intake (arrows F131, F132 in FIG. 1, a third being omitted) angularly almost near the shaft 201, separated here by three portions of the front wall 11 constituting support legs of the bearing 13. Two such assemblies could have been provided in concentric circles of lights 131 to 133 but angularly offset to offer a continuous air intake. The compressed air outlet ports 141, 142 and 143 (arrows F141 and F142, a third being omitted) allow the outlet of the compressed air over a small angular sector, therefore a very limited form factor, which makes it possible to accumulate l air, and therefore compress it, between

successive exits. The air outlet circle CI has a radius greater than that of the air inlet circle CO. The air driven in rotation in the turbine 321 is thus pressed, by the centrifugal force which it undergoes, on the peripheral wall of the housing 330. The shape of the fins of the turbine 321 has here a curve to facilitate the axial entry of air and its angular acceleration with radial translation towards the peripheral wall. The above arrows like F131 and F141 thus illustrate the path of the air, while the line 81 illustrates that of the fuel, for the mixing chamber 151.

 The N gas mixture injection ports 151A to 153A are located at one end of the N respective angular sectors of the pallets 21 to 23 and the burnt gas exhaust ports 161 to 163 are respectively located at the other end, likewise than the compressed air outlet ports 141 to 143. In other words, and in

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 considering that the rotor 200 rotates clockwise in FIG. 3, a radius or angular sector thereof sweeps successively a pallet like 21, a mixture injection orifice 151A just downstream, then traverses a circular sector to scan the orifice 161 for the exhaust of the burnt gases as well as the orifice 141 for the outlet of compressed air, angularly arranged just upstream from the guide 122 of the fin 22. The associated mixing and injection chamber 151 to 153 is thus supplied with compressed air just before it coincides with the next combustion chamber 31 to 33 which it will supply. It is the same for the movement of the pistons as fuel gas supply 41.

 The radial depth of the turbine mouth 211D is such that it passes opposite the air inlet ports 131 to 133 and the compressed air outlet ports 141 to 143 to sweep them successively and thus function as a distributor atmospheric air intake and compressed air delivery. The turbine mouth 211D here forms a notch almost over the entire radial height of the rotor 200. However, it could be in the form of a passage or light, with limited radial extension (between the circles C0 and Cl), in the front wall 211 of the housing 330 arranged opposite the central part of the front wall 11 opposite the turbine 321. This turbine port (211D) would not then constitute a notch at the surface or peripheral wall 213. Conversely, the engine mouth 213B is located at a radial distance from the axis or shaft 201, corresponding to the circle Cl, greater than that of any point of the lights 131 to 133 on the circle Cl. In other words and in general , the

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 radial positions and ranges of the engine mouth 213B and of the turbine mouth 211D are mutually offset radially so that each one cooperates, during the rotation of the rotor 200, only with the orifices of the front wall 11 which relate to it . The circles CO, Cl and C2 are therefore distinct.

 It will be noted that the functions, gas supply / extraction, associated with the front wall 11 could be distributed between the front walls 11 and 12, the same function can even be thus distributed.

 As shown in FIG. 1, the vanes like 21 are radially held in relative position, relative to the peripheral lateral surface 213 of the rotor 200, by respective kinds of hooks like 21A which project radially inwards at the level of the respective side edges opposite the front wall 12.

The front wall 212 of the rotor 200 has a groove or groove forming a guide bearing 212A receiving the hooks as 21A. The front wall 212 is delimited by the ovoid shaped edge 212B formed by its intersection with the peripheral surface 213. The bearing groove 212A extends parallel to the edge 212B, that is to say that the radial distance between the peripheral surface 213 and the bearing groove 212A is constant. The latter thus constitutes a cam which controls the radial sliding of the pallets 21 to 23, in one direction and in the other, according to the instantaneous radius of the point of contact of the peripheral surface 213 with the pallet 21 to 23 considered. The radially internal ends of the pallets 21 to 23 are thus maintained in contact, with sealed sliding, of the peripheral surface 213. The groove-bearing 212A constitutes

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 thus a copy, translated radially point by point towards the axis 201, of the peripheral surface 213.

 It will be noted that the bearing groove 212A could have been provided in the front face 211, insofar as the mouths 213B and 211D would have a limited radial extension, as mentioned above, so as not to cut the bearing groove 212A.

Claims (9)

claims 1. Rotary motor comprising a stator (1) comprising a housing (30) for receiving a rotor (200) comprising a shaft (201), arranged to cooperate with bearing means (13) of the stator (1), comprising an output drive end section (201B), the rotor (200) having a peripheral surface (213) forming a cam controlling the sliding of a plurality of vanes (21-23) of the stator (1), associated with means (21A, 212A) for holding the pallets (21-23) in abutment against the peripheral surface (213), for sliding in a corresponding plurality of wells (41) angularly distributed at the periphery of the housing (30), in order to delimit a plurality of combustion chambers (31-33) associated with means (151-153) for injecting compressed fuel gas and oxidizing gas and with ignition means (91) for controlling the combustion of the gas, for driving of the rotor (200), characterized in that the rotor (200) is arranged to control directly ent, integrated into the engine, independently of the output drive end section (201B), compression means (61, 321) of at least one of the fuel gas and the oxidizing gas.  2. Engine according to claim 1, wherein the rotor (200) comprises turbine means (321) for compressing the oxidizing gas.  3. Motor according to claim 2, wherein the rotor (200) comprises a housing (330) containing blades of the turbine (321) mounted on the shaft (201), the housing (330) having an axial mouth (211D ), in a front wall (211) of the rotor, arranged so as to come successively opposite an orifice for the entry of oxidizing gas (131-133) and a said plurality of orifices for <Desc / Clms Page number 16>  outlet of compressed oxidizing gas (141-143), passing through an opposite front wall (11) of the stator.  4. Engine according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vanes (21-23) slide by sliding the respective pistons (61) housed in cylinders (51) for receiving fuel connected at the outlet to the combustion chambers ( 31-33) through chambers (151-153) for mixing and injecting fuel and oxidizing gas.  5. Motor according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rotor (200) has a radial section of ovoid shape.  6. Motor according to one of claims 1 to 5, in which the means for holding the pallets in abutment (21-23) comprise leading cam-bearing means (212A) integral with the rotor (200) associated with driven means. (21A) integral with the pallets (21-23).  7. Motor according to claim 6, in which the driving cam-bearing means (212A) comprise, in a front face (212) of the rotor, a groove (212A), extending parallel to the peripheral surface (213) of the rotor, forming bearing for receiving a plurality of driven hooks (21A) integral with the respective pallets (21-23).  8. Motor according to one of claims 4 to 7, in which the rotor (200) has an axial groove (213A, 213B) for distributing the mixture opening into at least one of the opposite front walls (211) of the rotor (200) with sealing at a front wall (11) of the stator (1) which comprises a said plurality of pairs of first and second orifices (151A, 161) angularly spaced and arranged so that the distribution groove (213A, 213B) successively sweeps the plurality of pairs of ports (151A, 161), a first port (151A) of each <Desc / Clms Page number 17>  pair being connected to the outlet of one of the mixing and injection chambers (151-153), the plurality of second orifices (161) being provided for the evacuation of the burnt gases.  9. Motor according to claim 8, wherein the front wall (11,12) of the stator (1) comprises a plurality of radial grooves (121-123) for sliding guide of the pallets (21-23).